The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-07-22
Wonderful Operation.


A young and wealthy New Yorker,
who has been as bald as billiard ball,
will soon go back into society with
head of curly hair, which was procured
for him by transplantation from dog,
writes New York correspondent to
the Cincinnati Enquirer. His case is
one OF the most remarkable surgical
operations ever known in this city and
perhaps in the world. The young
man is the private patient of the con-
sultiug surgeon Of st. Elizabeth Hos
pital. He is the son of well known
dry goods merchant, and lives in an
elegant mansion on Fifth avenue. The
man was graduated from Columbia
College about two years ago, and was
sent to the University at Heidelberg
to complete his education. 1t was
there he met with painful accident.
He had taken special course in chem
istry, and spent much of his time in
the laboratory in the capacity of teacht
ers' assistant. One evening, while
alone, he was overcome by the vspor
of sulphuric acid, and before be could
get to the open air fell unconscious.
As he rolled over his head entered an
open fire place, where there was a
large log burning, and his hair caught
on fire. He was found shortly after
ward. His head was in a frightful
condition The flesh running flom the
forehead to the shoulders in the back
of the neck was roasted. When he
was lifted from the floor portions of
the scalp fell off, exposing the bone.
His face was not much injured, save
for about an inch on the forehead. He
was taken to his room, and there be.
gan the battle for his life. 1t was
feared that the brain had been affected,
as he renamed in comatose condition.
There was watery deposit IN the
lungs, but it could not be determined
whether this was due to the inhaling
of the vapor of the acid or the flames
from the fire. The lung symptoms be-
came worse rapidly, and all hope was
given up of saving his life. The best
physicians in Germany were called to
attend him, and everything was done
that was known in medical science.
Nearly all the flesh sloughed off from
the skull leaving patch here and
there, like an oasis in desert.
1t was long time before his lungs
healed, and much longer before the
horrible would become we'll enough to
remove the skull cap bandage which
he wore. When he recovered his
strength and came home, the terrible
Disagreement of the electrical tissue
in the scalp was hidden under a wig.
The wig would have been all right but
for the fact that it set up an annoying
irritation. Wigs of every sort were
tried to overcome the difficulty, but
when the irritation developed into a
distressing inflammation from which a
discbarging ulcer was formed,
the wigs had to be abandoned. When
the hospital surgeons attention was
called to the case there was an ulcerat-
ed surface about as large as silver
dollar in the top of the back head. He
suggested the performance Of plastic
operation, or the transplantation of
skin. The patient expressed his will
ipgness to undergo anything, however,
painful or inconvenient, and he was in
fair physical condition, work was be-
gun at once. This was several months
ago. As preliminary test, small
section of skin and flesh was cut from
the patients breast and placed in the
center of the liberation in the scalp,
which had been previously scraped un-
til it bled profusely. The skin took
root in an astonishing short time much
to the qualification of the patient and
physicians, and from the outer border
of the transplanted skin little shoots o4
healthy tissue protruded into the neigh
boring flesh and grew rapidly.
This was continued until the entire
liberated surface had healed and pre-
sented healthy appearance. In the
new flesh which had beena thus formed
there was an active growlhof capillary
substance, showing that the hair cells
had not been destroyed. This led the
doctor to suggesta novel experiment,
which, if successful, would not only
cover the head of,the patient with flesh
but also with beautiful growth OF
curly hair. 1t was nothing less than
to try and transplant the skin of dog
to the patients head. 1t took, some
time for the patient to overcome the
natural aversion to such an operation,
but finally he gave his consent, espeo
tally as his wealth and social position
could not compensate for the horrible
deformity in his head.
A large Newfoundland dog, was pro-
cured with fine coat of hair, and the
patient was put under the influence of
ether in his own room. The doctor
had several assistants, one. of whom
scraped portion of the, flesh from the
top of the patients head. While this
was being done the dog was anethetiz
ed. The hair on one of its thighs was
cut close and an incision was made
several inches long. A parallel incls-
ion was made near the first one, and at
the lower end these ircisions were
joined by third one The flesh and
skin were then dissected up for seve, al
inches, leaving the large flap united to
the dog at the upper end.
The dog had been placed in an ad-
Unstable frame work on wheels, and he
was rolled to the patients side and
raised even with the head, While the
blood was pouring from the dogs flesh
it was placed upon the patients head
and pressed firmly into position
Stripes of adhesive plaster were run in
various directions over the dogs and
the patients head, and after the entire
wound had been busted with chloro
form, bandages were applied. The
dogs legs and body had been previous
ly strapped so that nothing could be
moved but the head, and this was per
mitteo to be moved only sideways.
The patients head was alse held by
supports in such position as to take
the strain from the neck and restrict
all motion.
The operation took about an hour
and h ,lf, and when the patient be-
came conscious fortunately there was
no vomiting from the ether. The re-
lative positions of dog and man were
maintained for a week. The dog was